The Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards, Ms. Mary Muthoni yesterday presided over the conclusion of a two-day engagement workshop between the Ministry of Health and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). The discussions centred on the operationalization of the Eastern Africa Regional Collaborating Centre, which Kenya hosts. The Centre is expected to serve as a hub for regional cooperation, capacity building, disease surveillance, and response to public health threats. Ms. Muthoni reaffirmed that the Ministry of Health is committed to finalizing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Africa CDC to formalize the partnership and guide the implementation of agreed priorities. She stressed that health security cannot be achieved by one country alone, noting that the Centre will strengthen Eastern Africa’s collective capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to health challenges. The engagement was attended by the Director of the Eastern Africa Regional Collaborating Centre, Dr. Mazyanga Lucy, Kirinyaga County CECM for Health, George Karoki, as well as senior officials from the Ministry of Health, Africa CDC, and other government institutions.
National syndemic Diseases Control Council (NSDCC) in partnership with Samburu County, reached 409 adolescents and young learners at Mwangaza Muslim Day Secondary School in Maralal with health education on the Triple Threat of new HIV infections, mistimed pregnancies, and sexual and gender-based violence.
The session, conducted by Sub-County Multisectoral Committee Coordinator Mr John Lesepe, engaged 198 girls and 211 boys with sexual and reproductive health messages. This initiative is expected to create a multiplier effect, extending awareness beyond the school to the wider community. Such engagements are central to improving health outcomes, changing behaviours, and promoting equity.
Patients with infectious diseases will now receive life-saving diagnosis and treatment faster, thanks to new technology at Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi that identifies disease-causing organisms in just 30 minutes- down from 8 to 18 hours previously. The breakthrough comes with the installation of the Vitek MS Prime, a state-of-the-art diagnostic platform from bioMérieux. Using MALDI-TOF technology, the machine can rapidly detect a wide range of microorganisms including bacteria, fungi, yeast, and other hard-to-identify pathogens that cause pneumonia, meningitis, gastroenteritis, urinary tract infections, and other diseases. Unlike its predecessor, which had limited capacity, the Vitek MS Prime can identify a much broader spectrum of disease-causing organisms such as anaerobic bacteria, filamentous fungi, and certain mycobacteria in just minutes.
The government, in partnership with the United Kingdom, has endorsed reforms to 23 statutes on Information, Communication and Technology (ICT), aimed at strengthening Kenya’s legal framework on data governance and emerging technologies. State Department for ICT and the Digital Economy Principal Secretary John Tanui said the statutes under review ranged from the Constitution and the Kenya Information and Communication Act to laws on consumer protection, procurement, education, employment, innovation, and defense. In a speech read on his behalf by Secretary ICT, E-Government and Digital Economy Mary Kerema, Tanui said the reforms were necessary to ensure laws kept pace with technological change and guaranteed inclusivity.
Construction of two modern markets in Othaya constituency was launched yesterday by area MP Wambugu Wainaina in the company of several leaders. Nyeri Senator Wahome Wamatinga and MPs Maina Mathenge (Nyeri Town) and Eric Wamumbi (Mathira) joined hundreds of Kagicha and Ndunyu areas in launching the construction of two ESP modern markets funded by the National government at total cost of KSh140 million. They are expected to be completed in 9 months’ time and will accommodate more than 2,000 traders, marking a major milestone in revitalizing local trade. They will spaces equipped with among others; Modern stall, cold and dry storage facilities, lactation rooms for mothers, a spacious social hall, modern ablution blocks, a fully equipped kitchen, a children’s playground and an ICT hub for digital connectivity and innovation.
In the picture, a government official AGM Gakuru (holding mics) is seen explaining the architectural drawings of the markets to MPs Wambugu Wainaina, Eric Wamumbi and Senator Senator Wahome Wamatinga